Wheelbarrow



Oct. 5; 1 943. E. BALLS 4 WHEELBARROW I Filed March 17, 1943 2Sheets-Sheet 1 In'venlor Edmond 25222.

I Oct. 5, 1943. E} BALLS 2 3 9 WHEELBARROW I Filed March 17, 1943 2Sheets- -Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 5, 1943 W v23:50am

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,330,944 I WHEELBARROW I I Edmond Balls,Jacksonvilleilil a,"

Application March 17, 1943, Serial No. 479,515

3 Claims. (01, 29

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements inwheelbarrows, and has for its primary object to provide, in a manner ashereinafter set forth, a device of this character comprising a novelconstruction and arrangement whereby the load may be expeditiouslydumped with a minimum of efi'ort.

Other objects of theinvention areto provide a wheelbarrow of theaforementioned character which will be comparatively simple inconstruction, strong, durable, highly efficient and reliable in use,compact, light in weight, and which may be manufactured at lowcost.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of theinvention will become apparent from as'tucly of thefollowingspecification, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing wherein like characters of reference designate correspondingparts throughout the several views;

and wherein:

( Figure 1 is an elevational View, looking at one side of a wheelbarrowconstructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is an elevational view, looking at the opposite side of thewheelbarrow.

Figure 3 is a view in front elevation of the upper portion of thewheelbarrow.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view in cross section, taken substantially onthe line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary View in cross section, taken substantially onthe line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view in vertical section taken substantiallyon the line 8-6 of Figure 3.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that theembodiment of the invention which has been illustrated comprises a.frame which is designated generally by reference numeral I. The frame Iincludes a pair of forwardly converging bars 2 having rotatably mountedbetween their forward end portions a supporting wheel 3. At their rearends, the bars 2 terminate in handles 4. Supporting legs 5 are providedbeneath the bars 2 at an intermediate point.

Mounted for forward and rearward swinging movement in a vertical planeon the frame I is a body 6 comprising a forwardly inclined bottom 1. Aspring half-hinge 8 supports the body 6 in an elevated position on theframe I. It will be observed that the supporting hinge 8 is spacedrearwardly from the front end of the body 6 and the bars 2. Projectingforwardly from the gate I3.

lower front portion of the body '5 over'the wheel ingly urge the gatel3forwardly toward open,

position. Metallic plates [4 and I5 project laterally from the marginalside portions of the I Mounted transversely beneath the rearportion ofthe body 6 and on the bars 2 15a pair of op;- positely-curved,opposedmetallic bars I8 and ll. Depending from-the bar" Iii is a pair ofmetallic rods l81whi-ch jextend slidably through openings providedithereforginthe lower bar 17, said lower bar thus constituting a guide. Acoil spring 2| is secured between the bars I 6 and I1, intermediate therods l3, for yieldingly supporting the rear end of the body 6. Integralstops l 9 and 20 are provided on the rods l3 above and below the bar lland engageable therewith for positively limiting the swinging movementof the body 6 on the hinge 8. Also, the rods l8 have formed thereinvertically spaced openings for the reception of nut securedbolts 30which also constitute stops may be adjusted or regulated as desired,

A latch 22 is pivotally mounted in a housing 23 on the upper frontportion of one of the side walls ll of the body 6 for engagement withthe plate H! for releasably securing the gate 13 in closed position.Slidably mounted on one of the bars 2, adjacent the handle 4, is amanually actuated operator 24 for the latch 22. A cable or the like 25connects the operator 24 to the latch 22, said cable bein trained aroundpulleys 26 which are provided therefor on the frame 1 and the body 6. a

An operator 2'! (see Fig. 2) is mounted on the other bar 2 adjacent therespective handle 4. A cable or the like 28 connects the operator 2'! tothe plate l5 for closing the gate l3, said cable 28 being trained aroundpulleys 29 which are provided therefor.

It is thought that the operation of the wheelbarrow will be readilyapparent from a consideration of the foregoing. Briefly, the body 6 isloaded in an'obvious manner and the wheelbarrow is moved to the locationat which it is to be dumped. This is accomplished by simply disengagingthe latch 22 from the plate 14 through the medium of the operator 24.When this ocmay be resorted to which ywi'll {all within,

curs, the gate l3, under the influence of the springs of thehinges l2and with the assistance of the weight of the load behind said gate,swings forwardly and upwardly tofopen position, the

.dirt or other material discharging by gravity beneath the' free end ofsaid gate through the chute '9. The limited swinging movement of whichthe body 6 is capable permits said body to be shaken as may be necessaryto loosen any portion of the load thatinay remain lodged therein.

,After the wheelbarrow has been emptied, the

gate I3 is returned to closed positionthrough the medium of the operator21 and the cable ing a pair of forwardly converging bars, a supportingwheel journaled between the forward end portions of said bars, handleson the rear ends of the bars, a body hingedly mounted in an elevatedposition on the bars for forwardly and rearwardly swinging movement in avertical plane, a discharge gate hingedly suspended on the front of lthebody, means for releasably securing the gate in closed position, andmeans on the body and the frame for limiting the swingingmovement ofsaid body in opposite directions, the last-named means including a :pairof oppositely curved, opposed bars mounted 28, in which positionsaid'gate is again secured by the latch 22.

It is believed that the many advantages of a wheelbarrow constructed inaccordance with the present invention will be readily understoodandalthough a preferred embodiment of the device is as illustrated anddescribed, it is to be under;

stood that changes in the detailsvof construction and in the combinationand arrangement of parts V the scopeofthe inventionas claimed;

Whatis claimed is:

-1. 'A wheelbarrow '-'comprising a frame includ- :ing a pair of:fonwardly converging :bars, a suptransversely beneath-the body and onthe firstnamed bars, a pair of rods suspended from the uppermost of thesecond-named bars and slidably' engaged in the lowermost of saidsecondporting wvheeljournaled-betweenthe forwardiend named bars, stopsat spaced points on the rods engageable with said lowermost of thesecondnamed bars for limiting the sliding movement of said rods inopposite directions therethrough, and a coil spring between thesecond-named bars intermediate the --rods "for. yieldingly supportingthe rear end of the body.

.3. A wheelbarrow of the character described comprising a wheelsupported frame, a body hingedly mounted for swinging movement in avertical plane on said frame, a. 'bar mounted "transversely on the framebeneath the body, rods depending from the body and "extendingslidablythrough the bar,-'spaced stops, on the rods engageablev with the:bar for positively limiting theswinging movement of the body inopposite directions, a coil springconnected to the bar and to :the bodyfor ,yieldingly supporting the body, and a discharge gate mountedon'thelbody.

EDMOND BALLS.

